Osama Saeed's blog

11 February 2008

Williams and Shariah

I've been following the news about Archbishop Rowan Williams and his comments on shariah. While I've seen the headlines, it's only from speaking to people that I'm getting a full sense of the furore.

Which makes it sound even more silly. The country's media organs get into a tizzy over another non-story involving Muslims.

Shariah already exists in the country - I'm married under it, eat meat slaughtered by it, and bank according to it. In some cases, the law even had to be changed to accomodate this e.g. the removal of double stamp duty for Islamic mortgages. Obviously Williams was talking about such simple matters.

"His [Williams'] conclusion that Britain will eventually have to concede some place in law for aspects of Sharia is a view I cannot share.

"There can be no exceptions to the laws of our land which have been so painfully honed by the struggle for democracy and human rights.

"His acceptance of some Muslim laws within British law would be disastrous for the nation."

... he is talking monstrously ill-informed rubbish.

The stance of major politicians has also been predictably shocking. Much bluster from Gordon Brown and the Conservatives about "British laws" despite their being so such legal system. We already at least have two systems of law - Scots and English. I'm writing this from the US where state and federal law regularly come up against each other.

I've skimmed though Rowan Williams' speech. I can't understand why he made it, he should know by now how people would twist it for their own ends. But it is a thoughtful piece of work. Just a shame our media doesn't do thoughtful.

Comments

I've been deeply saddened by the whole debacle, frankly. Quite a few Muslim bloggers ran to the speech and then sat down to demonstrate how much they knew about the Shariah compared to the broadsheet media. But the media furore was in response to the Radio 4 interview, which I listened to, and almost wept as Williams ran like a poodle into the jaws of the rapacious journalist sat before him. The tabloid response was inevitable and I think some have been a little slow to appreciate how vile some of that has been, and the potential backlash such headlines provoke on the street. The Sun is read by 8 million people a day. Some of the more self-important among us need to wake up to that reality.

Perhaps he made it to stimulate debate, mostly for the population affected and disinformed, and scared by newspaper articles etc. He should be applauded; but then what is interesting is the legions of objectors who suddenly appeared from nowhere to raise objections, claim offense has been caused and get media attention for their idea of "social cohesion", e.g. the guy on Newsnight. It seems that these individuals and organisations exist everywhere.

Well maybe it is about time we had some Shariah law implemented in our corrupt and depraved society.
All too often murderers, paedophiles and rapists walk free from court or get reduced sentences and are free to reoffend.
Parents, schools and the Government seem to be incapable of doing anything about youth crime, teenage pregnancy, knife culture and under age drinking.
At least in countries where Shariah law is imposed criminals are punished and not the victims.
Living in the Middle East for 4 years I never felt threatened going out alone in my car or walking at night, something I can not say about Scotland and Britain.

With regard to the Archbishop`s remarks. what he is suggesting, or rather exploring, is what lots of other countries already have in place. Lets take Egypt as an example.In the Egyptian Legal system matters that relates to Family Laws ie, marriage, divorce, custody, inheritance, and any other dispute relating to the family, are assigned to the "Sect Court" or what is known as the "Majlis Milli". Meaning, if an Egyptian christian catholic wants to divorce his wife, they then go to a Catholic Family Law Judge , and Egyptian Muslims"95 %" go to the Share ea Court.. The Share ea Courts , in Egypt, are proper courts, they are not like the courts that the BBC, put on the screen to scare people.However, the "Sect Court" does not handle any matters relating to Criminal Law, and it`s boundaries remain within the family issues where the State has no power to prosecute or start any proceeding without a family member bringing the issue to the State`s attention, and request their help.

Hmm... I can't see how this type of highly contentious and constestable comment is going to help anything in what is an already sensitive situation:

"Well maybe it is about time we had some Shariah law implemented in our corrupt and depraved society".

As for:

"Living in the Middle East for 4 years I never felt threatened going out alone in my car or walking at night"

I'm not especiably knowlegeable about the whole of the Middle East, but I reckon there are some pretty substantial chunks of it where women (or indeed anyone)would not be safe going out walking at night.